Tournament Point

I’m jealous, Ferdy. Living in London, the All Blacks v Springbok games in SA each year were my favourite - kick-offs that matched British Summer Time perfectly. Yes ... watching a Test match, in daylight, at the pub. Old skool, all day, Test Match Fever!

So, we only need a point to take the Tournament? Done I reckon. Not saying we’ll thrash the Boks, but the eight changes P Divvy has brought in emphasise their loss of direction recently, and reflect a need to try something a little bit different. Only a little bit though, its all about execution for them this weekend ... time to step up for John Smit’s Century Test. And how good is that? 100 Tests for the Boks - outstanding.

After last weekend’s dismal efforts by my other teams (the Turbos and the Hammers, someone has to support these teams) I am keen for the All Blacks to produce an emphatic win on South African soil. I am looking forward to Cowan scrapping with that feisty nugget Francois Hougaard, and I bet our guys are relishing the chance to run at those little fellas at the back: Aplon and JP Pietersen. Plus, will Juan Smith adapt to these new rules at this pace?

Let’s hope the 90,000 spectators at Soccer City don’t spook our boys. Will Vuvuzelas be allowed?

And as for all this tripe about SA going it alone after 2015? What rubbish. Go on, I dare you SARU. You need us as much as we need you ... talk about throwing your toys. Cry babies.

DEBUT

While Ferdy is off at re-orientating herself to UK life at The Big Chill, enjoying a bass bin battering from the likes of Massive Attack, M.I.A. and Roots Manuva, it falls to me to step up and repay the Good Lady's faith in giving me ‘game time’ on ruggerblogger. So, here goes ...

Now, I’ve got to admit, I am not a huge Sevens fan, but I was really enjoying that game on Saturday night ... then a Test Match broke out and I had to settle in for 65 minutes of old fashioned see-saw. It was a New Zealand victory based on two early pounces of expansive, flowing rugby, and long periods of defence when the Wallabies had all the possession. Hell, we even kicked our way out of trouble; at least twice Carter hoofed the ball 50-60m down the field, and it was refreshing to see this pragmatic shift in strategy. Despite the new interpretations finally catching up to New Zealand’s long standing willingness to run the ball from everywhere and carry the ball into contact, in tight games like this it is nice to know that Carter’s boot can conservatively thump us to a better gain in field position. A Plan B perhaps?

Yes, the match looked uncomfortably close for periods when the teams were only 7 points apart and those Canary Yellow jerseys seemed to be holding phase after phase ... but so many times they struggled to gain ground after the first tackle, let alone multiple phases. This All Black pack could stop inflation.

Deans’ team (presently) just lack that cohesion to really steel their enthusiasm. At this stage, players with 2,7 or 15 caps will never compete against our more experienced core of players in the 25-45 cap zone, but I’m with Ferdy ... give them time. Shining lights like Will Genia (quiet on Saturday), David Pocock and Drew Williams will always put them in good stead for the final rounds in 2011.

These All Blacks are just in scintillating form and brimming with confidence at the moment. Are we peaking? Is this another 1994, 2002 or 2006? I don’t believe we peak ... I think we just crash for 10 minutes every four years, with calamitous effect.

For now though, I’m feelin' the love again this year. I am enjoying this Tri Nations. I feel ‘comfy’ with this team. With that whopping Bledisloe Cup in the trophy cabinet for another year, the last hurdle - the icing on our 2010 cake - is not just the Tri Nations win, but doing it with an emphatic away win in the Rainbow Nation ... no, not the North Shore - South Africa.

Laterz
Slugso

PS Woodcock was very, very lucky. Richard Loe will be smiling.

Springboks - the new Dad's Army?

All Blacks 32 Vs South Africa 12

Watching a replayed game where you already know the result is definitely not as heart palpitating as watching a game live. I finally got around to watching the All Blacks' first test against South Africa after the weekend. It has been heralded as one of the best New Zealand performances of recent times (probably since the 2005 turn against the Lions at the Cake Tin).

I am going to be an old stick in the mud here though and say that watching this game a few days after the dust has settled and all the glowing reviews in the paper have been written, that I thought that the ABs definitely had the rub of the green. I also think the Springboks are beginning to look like an aging side, particularly the forwards who looked a couple of beats behind the pulse of the play. It just goes to show, you are only as good as your last game.

Botha being sent off in the first quarter of the game swung the test around to the ABs way of playing, but before that point, the Springboks had looked rather menacing. After the sending off, they lost their structure and a fired up New Zealand was then able to put on an impressive display of traditional All Black free flowing rugby.

Our execution was very good which has been something particularly satisfying after last year where we often appeared as bumbling idiots. And certain players really shone out (I have to eat my words about Mils Muliaina - he was quite fantastic, but I'm glad I'm getting to eat my words about him).

For me the jury is still out a bit on Nonu - his try was pure luck after he had attempted to kick the ball ahead in the SA 22. The ball bounced off a Bok foot back into Nonu's hands, setting off the move for his try - so he was fortuitous there because it was an initial poor decision. He also seemed to be one of the backs that spilled a bit of pill during the game.

Ditto Joe - he was ok but we need more speed and steam on that wing. It would be good if Guildford got a run out. Piri Weepu made good inroads when he came on for Jimmy Cowan in the second half - and it was nice to see him clearing the ball quickly from rucks as opposed to standing there, waving his arms around like a psychotic conductor for an orchestra (which is often what he rather likes to do).

The best part for me was the fact the NZ forwards seemed to have it over their rivals. Mealamu played a blinder, as did Kaino, Read, McCaw and Brad 'the engine room' Thorne. The two props had good games and it is refreshing to see the Franks brothers take on more around the field as opposed to a certain tweeter who has been dropped by the team.

I thought the Springboks (particularly the forwards) looked tired, old and some of them - fat. (Of course, I will probably have to eat my words again so I say it with the utmost respect). But it seems this team has been around the block for a while now. They reminded me a little of the English rugby team in certain areas - especially when the camera would sweep around on them as they were doubled over panting and sweating. There is not a lot of fresh blood in the SA team at the moment, so maybe the nine week suspension of Botha for his Liverpool handshake on Cowan will be a blessing in disguise if it means some new blood can be injected into the team.

Everyone is of course predicting the great South African comeback in Wellington this weekend - so we will have to wait and see...

That was my two cents emotional analysis of the game - but for something more structured - look no further than green and gold for some expert ruggerblogging.